Game apparatus.



A. J. & F. W. GADBOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. GADBOIS, OF DULUTH, AND FRANK \V. GADBOIS. OF ST. PAUL,MINNESOTA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

latented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed November 13. 1913. Serial No. 800,735.

Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a game apparatus which may beplayed indoors similar to baseball. the game however being played by twoopponents by thouse of dummy players instead of actual players andrepresenting substantially all phases of the game as played out ofdoors. In connection with the dummy players and when playing. a gameboard is employed having outlined thereon a diamond with which theplayers are adapted to cooperate.

()ur improved game simulates the act-ual playing of baseball socloselythat it is y possible to create conditions in the game so close toactual playing, as to make the game highly interesting.

()ur invention permits the use. ofdummy hrvers to imitate the actualplays in base ball and the. two opponents are enabled to display skillin throwing the ball and in causing any one of the dummy players whichhappens to be at the bat to strike at the ball and bat it into variousparts of the field.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci cation. Figure 1is a plan of our invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section ofa detail illustrating the construction of one of the dummy players andof the striking devices: Fig. 3 is another elevation partly in sectionof a detail showing the cmistruction of the striking de' vice: Fig. 4 isa sectional view of a detail showing the construction of the pitchingdevice: Fig. 5 is a section taken on. the line X -X of Fig. 1. and Fig.6 is an elevation of the plunger.

In connection with the game. a game board A is employed of rectangularor other suitable shape having inscribed upon its face a base balldiamond B. indicating the position 2 ot'thc first base. the position 3of the second base. the position I of the third base and the position 5of the home base and battcrs plate. said positions being indicated bysuitable markings upon the face of the board upon which the dummyplayers such asC are adapted to be positioned by the opponents duringthe game. This board has a rim (3 around its edge which serves to assistin confining the ball when struck by the batter within the field. Inconnection with the board there is a pitching device I) for throwing theball 7 over the batters plate and also a batting device E which isadapted to hold one of the dummy players C which is at the bat and tocause said player to strike at the .ball with the bat which it carries.said pitching and striking devices being adapted tobe operated one byone opponent. and the other by the other opponent. There are providednine dummy players composing a team for I use by each opponent. eachteam being numbered one to nine and uniformed in differentdistinguishing colors. These dummy players are all similar inconstruction and are adapted to be placed upon the board at the variouspositions in accordance with the standard rules in vogue for playingregular base ball.

As the dummy players are all alike in construction. it will sufiice todescribe one in detail. Each player consists of a long body 8 ofcylindrical or bther suitable shape made of wood or other suitablematerial having in its lower end a vert-ical hole or recess 9 to receivethe upper end of a swiveled pin or shaft 10 projecting upwardly throughthe board A and positioned at one side of the batters plate 5 where thebatter usually stands. The upper end of the shaft 10 has a transversepin 11 and the body .8 is slotted at. 12 in its lower end to fit downover the pin.

said pin being adapted to engage the body to cause it to turn with theshaft. The upper end of the body 8 has a transverse opening 13. which isadapted to receive the small end of a bat 14 and hold the bat. extendinglat;- .4

erally from the body. By this means the bat may be easily and quicklyinserted in-the opening 13 and detachably secured tothe body by abinding connection. Thebat fl is thus adapted to swing in a horizontalplane over the plate o when in thea etaof striking a ball which isthrown by the pitching device. i

The shaft 10 is adapted to turn substantiall a quarter of a revolutionfor the purpose of swinging the bat to strike the ball. The shaft isjournaled in the game board by means of the bearing 15 and the bracket16. The lower end of said shaft being pro- \ided with the collar 17 andare adapted to hold the sha vertically on said bracket. The shaft isprovided with a laterally extending arm 19, the outer end of which isformed with a handle 20, which may be engaged to turn the shaft andreset it in readiness for causing the player at the bat to be held inreadiness to strike a ball. A trigger 21 is pivotally mounted upon thesupport 22 which is carriedlby the game board, said trigger beingadapted to engage the arm 19 to hold it in set position. The trigger hasa catch arm 23 which may be engaged by hand to withdraw the trigger fromengagement with the arm 19 and release the striking device. A spring ofany suitable construction 24 is attached by its ends to the arm 19 andtoy an anchoring pin 25 depending from the game board, said spring beingadapted to supply force which F pin 18, which turns the shaft 10 tocause the bat to be swung by the player. A stop 26 of suitableconstruction is mounted upon the game board in the path of the arm 19and is so positioned as to limit the turning movement of the shaft 10and the stroke of the bat.

-The person who operates the batter reaches under the game board andturns the arm 19 into engagement with the trigger 21, it being assumedthat the player at the bat has been placed over the upper end of theshaft in the position indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 and that the bat 14 hasbeen inserted in the opening 13. l/Vhen it is desired to cause thebatter to strike at a ball, the trigger 21 is pulled down by hand out ofengagement with the arm 19, whereupon the shaft 10 is turnedsubstantially a quarter of a revolution by the spring 24 and the playerswings the bat 14 in the path of the ball.

The pitching device which is positioned so as to throw the ball over thebatters plate is in the form of a tube 30 extending longitudinally at anincline with its forward end slanting up through an opening 31 in thegame board in line to shoot a ball over the batters plate. This tube issecured in place by an abutment 32 depending from the lower surface ofthe game board, and through which a plunger 33 passes and is adapted toreciprocate in the tube. This plunger is adapted to be propelledforwardly by a pair of springs 34 of suitable construction and material,said springs being anchored to the abutment 32 and attached to the backend of the plunger by the pins 35. The back end of the plunger is formedwith a head 36 by which the plunger may be pulled back into shootingposition where it is held b a catch 37 engaging a shoulder 38 formed bya recess in the side of the plunger (see Fig. 6). The catch 37 is in theform of an arm pivoted at 39 on the abutment 32 and having its free endlbent at right angles to its body portion. A

side having a man at the bat.

spring of any suitable, constrl'lctiou and material 40 is secured to thefree end of the catch 37 and to the game board. The tendency of thespring 40 is to raise the catch 37 out of engagement with the shoulder38 and release the plunger. A trigger arm 41 in the form of a shaft isjournaled in the bearings 42 on the lower surface of the game board, andis bent at one end at right angles to the body portion thereof to forman engaging member 43 for the offset end of the catch 37 to hold saidcatch set in engagement with the plunger. The offset end of the triggerarm 41 is formed with a handle piece 44 by which said arm can be turnedwith the portion 43 out of holding engagement with the catch 37whereupon the. spring 40 is adapted to raise the catch and release theplunger. The shape of the engaging member 43 is such as to hold thecatch in engaging position until released by turning the handle 44 asdescribed. In use the ball 7 is placed in the ,upper end of the tube andit rolls down against the plunger which has previously been'set inshooting position. The handle 44 is turned when desired to release thecatch 37 and the .plunger whereupon the ball is thrown by the plungerover the batters plate.

The game board is provided with openings such as 45 below each of whichthere is a net 46 secured forming pockets into which the ball whenstruck by the batter is adapted from time to time to be caught. Thesepockets are suitably positioned as desired, and when the ball enters oneof them is adapted to score out to the side on which the batter isplaying.

In use the game is played in the manner of regulation base ball by twoopponents, the one taking his place in position to manipulate thepitching device, and the other in position to manipulate the strikingdevice. These positions are reciprocable as in the regular game of baseball when the pitcher throws a ball over the batters plate, the operatormanipulating the batter releases the batting device causing the playerholding the bat to strike at the ball.

If the ball is struck and is not caught in one of the pockets, it scoresin favor of the side having a player at the bat as in regular baseball.If the ball happens to enter one of the pockets the result isunfavorable to the side at the bat. laid out with foul lines 47 and ifthe ball is struck by the batter and falls on the foul side of the lines47 it counts a foul for the Behind the batter there is a box 48constructed which is adapted to assist in catching the. ball behind thebatter. The players are in turn placed respectively in the positions onthe diamond as in regulation baseball, and each player takes its placeand is fastened to the bat- 1 The game board is to the shaft 10acccmplishes the result of playing the game like in regular out doorbase ball, Whereas in prior devices where a batting device is empl ved.the players are not changeably mounted thereon. nor are the playersturn, that is the players being constructed so that g and the Thisfeature 1 the small end adapt-- ed to hold a bat and to take theirpositions f in turn on the batting device and perform the functicn ofbatting. tant feature enables the \Vllltll resembles regular moreinteresting.

The nine players of each team are positioned on the board as in playingtheir numbers indicating the positions they are to as some as the gameproceeds. The manner of scoring is exactly as in regular base hall andsimilar score cards may be used.

liach player does its own batting and the winning of the game depends onthe indi vidual batting of each and every player.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principlesof operation of our invention together with the apparatus which we nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof but we desire to haveit understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above game to be played in a manner set forth withinthe scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new an desire toprotect by Letters Patent is 1. Game apparatus adapted for playin baseball, comprising, in combination, a game board, a batting device mountedon This is an imporof the improvement, because it base ball and is saidboard having a revoluble shaft proieet ing ttl iil li theittiirmi andmeans for turning said shaft. a bat. and teams of players adapted forcooperation with said batting device and bat. each of said playersconsisting of a body having an opening in its lower end to receive theupper end of said shaft and an opening in its side to receive of saidbat and hold said bat txtending laterally from said body, where by saidplayers are adapted to take their pcsitivns in turn on said battingdevice and made to hohl said bat in turn to strike at a ball.

:1. (lame apparatus adapted for playing base ball, comprising, incombination, a

, game board, a batting device mounted upon 1 ing upwardly said boardhaving a revoluble shaft extendthrongh said board, and means for turningsaid shaft, and a player body having an opening in its side to receivethe small end cf a bat and detachably hold said bat projecting from theside of said lady, said shaft and the. lower end of said player bodybeing separably coupled to detaehably support said player body on saidshaft.

3. In a base ball game apparatus, a player body having an opening in itslower end adapted for the reception of a revoluble shaft, and an openingin its upper end adapted for the insertion of to hold said bat inlaterally extending position.

ln testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED J. GADBOIS. FRANK \V. GADBOIS.

W itnesses S. L. \Vasonnx BERGER, 1 G. BRADBURY.

a base ball bat tit)

